


Sometimes life just puts your secrets out there

by Prince_of_darkness



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Explicit Language, Gen, Harley Keener Needs A Hug, Mild Language, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Trans Character, Trans Harley Keener, Trans Male Character, Transphobia, non Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 22:41:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15567945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Prince_of_darkness/pseuds/Prince_of_darkness
Summary: Harley Keener hasn't seen Iron Man in a long time but after he is left on the streets he has no choice. Upon arrival. It becomes Harley's greatest challenge to keep his secret. Life however has other ideas





	Sometimes life just puts your secrets out there

**Author's Note:**

> This is in no way canon. I admit I wrote this in kind of a rush as the idea just came to me and its not very detailed. All Characters belong to marvel

Harley Keener was 11 when he first met Tony Stark the famous billionaire, philanthropist and most importantly to Harley, Iron Man. He met him in his garage and nearly shot him with a potato gun but asides from that they got on pretty well as soon as Harley figured out who he was. Harley knows he helped Tony despite how the man acted and how he left him on the side of the road. He also knew they did have a connection such as their love for technology. Harley never really felt abandoned by Tony, in fact he made him feel safe and despite it being rarely they had kept in contact over the past 3 years. Harley didn’t blame him for the regular absent. He knew Tony was a busy man and Harley was just some kid.

Harley didn’t really think his life would turn out this way, but maybe it was inevitable with how he was. Three nights it had been since Harley was kicked to the streets by his Aunt who hated his guts just because of who he was. He remembers his sister glancing out her window sadly to give him one last wave. Harley couldn’t dwell on that however, not now, winter was coming, and Tennessee would be getting even colder. Soon he wouldn’t even be able to sleep outdoors unless he wanted frostbite. Sighing, he struggled his binder back on despite only having taken it off mere minutes ago for a much-needed breather from the constant compression and shouldered his few remaining precious possessions including his mark 5 potato gun.

Harley kept his head down as he made his way back towards the bus stop. The last of his money was spent on a ticket to New York and Harley wearily made his way on board before collapsing on a seat, dead to the world.   
  
He awoke to the driver shaking his shoulder “End of the line kid”   
  
Harley rubbed his eyes tiredly before making his way of the bus. Already he could see the outline of Stark Towers which boldly stuck out even in New York City. Harley began to regret his decision, ‘What if Tony refused to help him’, ‘how would he even explain this to Tony’. He was too big of a burden to bear and so Harley turned his back on Stark Towers and made his way to the East River. Water, in general, had always managed to calm Harley and soon he was able to think again. ‘He had to keep moving’.  
  
Sometimes things just happen on coincidence. This was just one of those incidences. As Harley was crossing the street a very loud honk forced him out of his thoughts. Harley turned but all was too late after that Harley remembers nothing.

Tony Stark, however, remembers the incident very vividly. The kid had popped out of nowhere, one second there was nothing in the road and the next there was. Tony swore loudly as he pushed desperately on his brakes. It was too late, while the damage could have been worse the kid still hit the ground rather hard. Tony swore again as he rushed out of the car. The kid didn’t appear to have any major damage but still was unconscious. Stark tower was closer to him than any hospital and so Tony did what anyone would logically do and bundled the kid into his car before driving straight to Stark Towers in quite a rush.

Harley panicked when he came to in an unfamiliar room because who wouldn’t honestly. Moments later a man Harley recognized as Bruce Banner rushed in and he soon realized where he was.  
  
“Don’t move too much, you’re pretty bruised up and you have a broken arm”   
  
Harley laid back confused looking at his arm which he just realized had a cast on it. God, he was lucky they didn’t have to undress him “So, uh when do I get out of here?” he asked timidly

“When Tony gives the okay, he’s doing something upstairs at the moment, but he’ll be done soon”

Harley nodded ‘great just great’ he thought. Soon enough Tony was walking through the door. He looked the same as when Harley last saw him except for the extra bags under his eyes. ‘He must be so tired’ Harley thought ‘I’m such a burden he doesn’t need’

Tony motioned for Bruce to leave before he sat down in the chair next to Harley’s bed.   
  
“Hiya kid,” Tony said gently   
  
“Hi” Harley replied quietly trying his best to keep his voice low like he did on the phone

“Do you mind explaining to me why you, who belongs in Tennessee are all the way out here in New York”

Harley froze before stuttering out “I just thought I’d check it out”   
  
“Don’t bullshit me Kid” Tony said his voice suddenly cold “You look like you haven’t had a shower or a decent meal in days”   
  
Harley remained silent  
  
“Please, Harls. I can help you”  
  
“My aunt, she kicked me out” Harley replied finally with an emotionless edge.   
  
Tony sighed, putting his head in his hands “I’m so sorry kid”   
  
“Don’t. It’s not your fault. It’s mine”   
  
“Why do you say that?” Tony asked his tone inquisitive

Harley shook his head.   
  
“Okay, okay I can respect that, come upstairs kid. I figured you might be here a while, so I was putting together your room. Maybe it will have to be more permanent though” 

Hours later, Tony had finally got the kid settled in for the night and was ringing the Aunt. It took 3 rings for her to pick up.   
  
“Hi, this is Tony Stark, I’m calling because your nephew Harley Kenner turned up on my doorstep today” Tony decided it may be best to avoid the whole car accident issue.

“My ‘nephew’” The aunt repeated sarcastically “I don’t have a 'nephew'”   
  
Tony remained silent   
  
“Even if I did have a ‘nephew’ like some people think I do. I don’t want the freak back”   
  
The line went dead.   
  
‘What the actual fuck’ Tony thought. ‘What the hell was that about?’

The next week for difficult for everyone. Tony had to get everything organized for Harley who would now be living with them permanently and he had to figure out just how people became parental figures. Harley was enrolled in the top technology school in New York and Tony made sure he was comfortable in his room and also got new clothes. He even added more protocols to Jarvis just in case anything ever happened to the kid. Above everything though was the constant reassurance to Harley that he was going to be staying here for good. Eventually, everything seemed to settle down.   
  
Harley was dealing with a lot too. New school, new house, new parent. Everything was changing. Above all Harley was doing his best to make sure nobody ever found out his secret, even if he did feel it doing damage to himself. He wore his binder basically all the time but tried to sleep without it, if he could. He was just too scared someone would walk in and then he would be homeless again.

Despite his efforts, the dreaded day came at last

Harley awoke to Jarvis tell him something he really didn’t want to hear.   
  
“Blood detected, do you wish for me to call Mr. Stark”  
  
“What...” Harley started rubbing his eyes before looking down. His eyes went wide “NO, NO, NO, do NOT call Tony”

“You appear to be in distress, Mr. Keener. Now contacting Mr. Stark”  
  
Fuck, fuck, fuck. Harley rushed into his bathroom and locked the door. He heard Tony and Bruce both enter his bedroom. Soon Tony was hammering on his bathroom door. “Kid open up”  
  
“No, it’s nothing Jarvis is just confused”

“There is blood on your sheets, open up now or so help me”  
  
Harley breathing began to come out more rapidly as he gasped for air. He forced himself to breathe before answering “It’s really nothing”  
  
“What is it then?”   
  
“Shark week” Harley mumbled barely audible  
  
“What did you say, kid?”   
  
Of course Tony wouldn’t understand. What was he thinking? “I’m having a period” he finally said.

There was complete silence.   
  
Finally,   
  
“Harls, I think you’re a little confused, only girls get periods”

Harley willed himself not to cry as he fell to the floor.   
  
“Tony” Bruce hissed “Come here for a sec”   
  
Bruce made sure to lead Tony out of Harley’s earshot before speaking “I think… Harley is being serious. It’s really not my place to say but when I examined Harley, his body didn’t really match that of a 14-year-old boy”  
  
“What are you saying?”  
  
“I think he’s transgender Tony”  
  
Tony froze. God he was so stupid, who knows what the kid was thinking now. Why did he have to say something like that? At least now the phone call made sense.   
  
“Thanks, Bruce. You can go now. I need to sort this out with the kid”

Bruce nodded and left while Tony got busy changing the kid’s sheets. After doing this he went back and knocked on the bathroom door.   
  
“Please come out Kid, I need to go get something. I’ll be back soon though, just please get back into bed”  
  
After hearing Tony leave. Harley did sneak out of the bathroom and dive back into his bed burying himself deep under the covers.  
Tony did return about 10 minutes later. Harley held his breath as he felt his bed sink beside him. A hand came to rest on his shoulder.   
  
“I’m really sorry about what I said earlier”   
  
“Why on earth are you sorry? It’s not your fault none of it is. I’m a liar, you’re right and I’m just a liar and you don’t need to put up with this. I’m a freak I know. I’ll leave now if you want” The kid rambled on and on.   
  
Tony yanked back the sheets as soon as he heard the kid called himself a freak. Blue eyes filled with tears meet brown ones filled with worry and concern.“Never ever say that about yourself. You are not a freak”   
  
“I am, I must be. My aunt even kicked me out because of it”   
  
“Your aunt was awful and didn’t know what she was talking about Harls. You’re a wonderful boy and you’ll be a great man. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you otherwise”   
  
Harley couldn’t help himself as he all but threw himself at Tony. Tony clung back just as tightly though practically pulling the boy onto his knees as he did so.   
  
“You’re okay Harls, I’ve got you. I’ll always have you” Tony continued as he rubbed the boy’s shoulder.

When the kid finally calmed down and pulled away. Tony rested his hands-on Harleys shoulders and forced him to look at him. “You can come to me for anything Harley, I care about you and I love you. Anything you need can be provided. I promise”   
  
“Thank you, Tony, but really you’ve already done more than enough”  
  
“Nonsense Kid, I want to do this for you. I want to be there for you”   
  
Harley smiled at Tony “Thank you”  
  
“Oh and also” Tony added before handing Harley chocolate “I can never understand what you’re going through right now, but I have heard this helps”   



End file.
